Printing machine



April 25, 1933. Jg's. DUNCAN 1,905,552 7 PRINTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 19, 1928 4'Sheets$heet 1 JZZW 125. I

April 25, 1933. J. s. DUNCAN 1,905,552

PRINTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 19, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 25, 1933- J. s. DUNCAN 1,905,552

PRINTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 19, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 April 25, 3 J. ,5. DUNCAN 1,905,552

PRINTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 19,1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I. I I 0 QI Patented Apr. 25, 1933 stars Josnrrr s. DUNCAN, or (intense, rnmnors, ASSIGNOR r nnnnnssoennrrr COMPANY, y or WILMINGTON, nnnawem, A coaroaarron or DELAWARE PRINTING I MACHIHE Application filed January 19,1928. Serial 110.247.2514.

lhis invention relates to printing machines which are designed to print in successive op erations from successively changing printing devices selected to be printed according to a predetermined classification; and it particularly relates to printing machines having reciprocating platens such as are disclosed and claimed in the copending applications Serial No. 212,424 and Serial No. 212,425, both filed August 12, 1927.

lhe machines disclosed in these applications are provided with means .whereby the article to be printed will not be fed if a printing device to be printed is not in printing position, or if a printing device is to be skipped; and with means whereby a printing device to be printed will be held in printing position in the machine until an article is fed to printing position.

The present invention makes provision for printing a list of names, or other matter contained on the printing devices, on a continu ous sheet fed from a roll arranged'in a lister attachment connected to the printing machine frame, and the primary object of the invention is to provide means to prevent the platen from operating unless a printing device has been selected for printing.

Another object of the invention isto presition unless a printing device has been'selected to be printed. 1 7

And another object of the invention'is to recede the platen to prevent it from operating without interrupting the platen operating devices.

In the accompanying drawings showing a selected embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 1 is an elevation of part of a printing machine, partly in section and embodying the invention. 7

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View showing some of the operating mechanism.

7 Fig. 2a is a detail viewof the mechanism for restoring the selector rocker.

Fig.3 is an enlarged'detail view of the platen and some of its cooperating parts.

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view through 7 the platen showing the platenin printing.

50 position.

vent the sheet from bein fed'to rintin 0-,

r Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the platen in receded or non-printing position.

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view showing the parts which operate the ratchet pawl of the lister attachment.

Fig. 7 is a detail front'elevationof the parts shown in Fig. 6. 1

Referring to-the drawings 1 designates the frame of a printing machine havin a bed 2 and a housing 3. A cam shaft 4; Figs. 1, 2, carries two spaced platencams 5, Fig. l, which bear against rolls 6 mounted on the stamper arm 7 which is pivotally mounted in the frame at 8, and these cams cause vertical reciprocation ofthestamper arm during the rotation of the cam shaft which is operated continuously by suitable driving means (not shown).

Cams 9 and 9 fixed to the cam shaft 4 adjacent one end thereof engage two-spaced rolls-1O and 10 to operate the driving lever 11 pivoted to the frame at 12 and carrying said rolls, Fig.2. A link 13 pivotally connected at 13 to the lower end of the driving lever 11 is connected to another link 14 and drives the rocker arm 15 which causes intermittent movement of the printing device feed chain 16. An arm 17 integral with a part of the rocker arm 15 has a link 18 pivoted thereto carrying a. roller 19 which reciprocally engages an arm 19 rigid with the selector bar 20. The selector bar is pivoted to the frame at 20 and is reciprocated by the arm 19. A selector pin bar 7 21 pivotally connected to the selector bar at 21 is adapted to carry one or more selector pins 22. A spring 23 fixed to the selector pinbar holds the selector pin bar downward against the lug 21" on the selector bar and-keeps it in position relative to the selector bar providing a flexible connection between the selector bar and the selector pin bar.

A rod 24 has its upper end connected to a pawl 25 pivoted at 26 to the housing. A-

spring '27 holds the pawl-in engagement with an arm 29 rigid with the selector rocker 30. The lower end of the rod 24 is connected with the end 28' of the selector pin bar. 'A printing device to be skipped or the ab'senceentirely of a printing device from position will allow the selector pin bar to travel to the limit of its downward movement and the end 28 will pull down on the rod 24 and disengage the pawl 25 from the arm 29. A spring 30 fixed to the selector rocker 30 and to a part of the housing trips the selector rocker .30 when the pawl is released, as shown in broken lines in Fig. 2a. A finger 3 3 rigid with the selector rocker engages a lug 34 on the restoring cam 34, which is fixed on the shaft 4, and causes the selector rocker to return to normal position, after it has been tripped, as shown in full lines Fig. 2a.

When a printing device to be printed is in proper position it will check the downward movement of the selector pin bar and the selector rocker will not be tripped, but will remain in normal position, as shown in full lines in Fig. 202.

A rod 31 is connected at its upper end to the selector rocker 30 and at its lower end to the bell crank 32. A selector rod 35 is connected to the bell crank and carries the pawl 37 which is adapted to move the lower end of the pivot arm 38 to the left, in Fig. 2, as shown inebroken lines. This pivot arm 38 is pivoted at 39 to an arm 40 extending below the lister frame 41.

The platen 36 is mounted on a head comprising the two parts' 42 and 43, Figs. 4 and 5, which are provided with rearwardly projecting arms 42, 43 pivoted together at 44. A spring 45 provides a yielding connection between the two parts of the head to hold them in operative relation. A rod 46 is supported in the ends 47 of the upper part 42 of the platen head and it has a cam face intermediate of said ends to engage the top of the lower part 43 of the head. The platen 46 may be removably secured to the lower part 43 of the head by means of the dowel plate 43 with which the platen is engaged, and the spring pressed screw 43 operating in the'lower part 43 of the head. l/Vhen the cam is turned as shown in Fig. 4 the platen will make a printing impression but when the cam is turned as shown in Fig. 5 the platen is receded and the stamper arm may travel to the limit of its downward movement without the platen coming into impression position.

The lister frame 41 has mounted therein a pair of sheet feeding rolls 48 and 48" by means of which a continuous sheet of paper is fed through the printing position from a supply. roll P suitably supported in the frame below the bed Fig. 2. The upper roll 48 is carried by arms 48" pivotally mounted in the frame, and springs 48 are connected to the frame and arms to yieldingly hold the roll against the roll 48 to provide suitable gripping action on the sheet. The sheet extends upwardly from the supply roll and horizontally along. the bed and'beneath T the plat-en. 5 The sheet'passes around guide rolls P from the upper one of which Fig. 2 it extends between the feed rolls 48 and 48". The shaft 48 has a ratchet, which is operated by a pawl 49 suitably arranged on the lister frame for actuating the feed rolls 48' and 48. An eccentric strap 50, Figs. 6 and 7 arranged on the eccentric 51 drives the arm 50. A link 50 pivoted to the arm 50 causes reciprocal movement of the pawl 49 to operate the ratchet. A spring 51 is arranged to maintain the pawl in operative relation with the ratchet 49, Fig. 6.

A throwout finger 52 is pivoted to a fulcrum bar 53 at 52, and the fulcrum bar is pivoted to the housing 3 at 53, Figs. 1 and 2. The throwout finger is provided with a notch 54, Fig. 6, to receive the upper end of a cam lever 54 pivoted at 54 to a partof the lister frame. The cam lever 54 is adapted to be operated by a cam 55 on the cam shaft 4 and is held against this cam by a spring 56 connected to the lever 54 and a pin 57 projecting outwardly from the lister casing, Fig. 6.

The throwout finger 52 has a V-shaped cam notch 59 formed in one side thereof which engages a hooked pin 60 on the lister frame, so that when the throwout fingeris raised, the lower edge 61 of the notch 59 acts as a cam against the hooked pin 60 causing the throwout finger to bemoved laterally to the left Fig. 6. When the throwout finger is raised the upper end 62 thereof will throw out the pawl 49 and prevent paper by being fed from the roll 48'.

WVhen the lever 54 is disengaged from the notch54 a spring 63, connected to thefinger 52 and to a pin 64 on the lister frame, moves the finger to the right Fig. 6 and the'cam 61 forces the finger downwardly, thus restoring the finger to normal position.

A rod 65 has its lower end connected to a arm 66 of a bell crank 67 and is adapted tohave its upper hook end 69 engage a catch on the fulcrum bar 53, Fig. l. The pivot lever 38 has a pin 68 which engages the underside of the rod 65- and prevents the hooked end 69 of the rod 65 from riding over the 'catch 70 on the fulcrum bar 51 when a printing device is to be skipped, as exemplified in broken lines, Fig. 3.

The mechanism is so timed and constructed that when printing devices to be printed are fed to printing position, the paper from the supplyroll P, and upon which the impressions on the printing devices are to be made, will be fed by the feed rolls 48 and 48 at certain predetermined intervals, due to the operation of the ratchet pawl 49 on ;the-

ratchet'49. When, however, a printing device is to be skipped or when a printing device is not in position, the paper fromtherollis not fed, as the selector mechanism will cause the selector rod'35 tomove forward and causethe pawl 37 to engage jthelower end of as shown in broken lines in Fig. 2. As the lower end of this lever is moved to the left, its upper end will move to the right, as shown in full lines Fig. 3, and allow the rod to bear against the fulcrumbar 53; and as the stamper arm 7 raises upwardly the hooked end 69 of the rod 65 will become engaged with the catch on the fulcrum bar, as shown in full lines in Fig. 3. Then, as the stamper arm 7 moves downwardly, the rod 65 is held from moving and the stamper arm causes the bell crank to turn the platen rod 46 to the position shown in Fig. 5. The platen is thusprevented from coming in contact 7 with a printing device which is to be skipped.

As the rod 65 engages the catch 7 0 it causes the fulcrum bar 53 to swing on its pivot 53, Fig. 1, and raise the throwout finger 52 to cause disengagement of the pawl 49 with the ratchet 49. As the throwout finger raises it is moved laterally into the path of the cam lever 54 which then engages the notch 54 in the throwout finger 52, and paper is prevented being fed from by the feed rolls 48 and 48 whena printing deviceis skipped. The stamper arm has finished its downward ravel at this time, but the cam lever 54 holds the throwout finger up until the high point 58 of the cam 55 strikes the lower end of the lever 54 and disengages the lever from the throwout finger. The throwout finger is then returned to normal position by the spring 63. y

The platen head is secured to the stamper arm 7 by a center bolt 76, Figs. 1, 4 and 5, which passes through the arm and is threaded in the upper part 42 of the head. Adj usting bolts 7 5 are located in the arm on opposite sides of bolt 76 and they bear on the part 42. A spring 77 on bolt 7 6 allows for adjustment by the operating bolts 75.

The operation is as follows:

Assuming that the machine is in operation and certain printing devices to be printed are passing through the machine, the Stamper arm will be reciprocated, and the eccentric 51 will cause the pawl 49 to operate the sheet feed rolls 48' and 48". When a printing device to be skipped passes through the machine or when there is no printing device in position, the selector bar pin swings to the limit of downward movement, the selector rocker trips, the selector rod 35 moves forward, pawl 37 swings lever 38, hooked rod 65 engages catch 70 on the fulcrum bar 53 and turns the platen cam 46, so that when the stamper arm 7 descends the platen will not come in contact with the printing device being skipped. When the hooked end 69 of the rod 65 engages the catch 7 O the fulcrum bar 53 swings to the position shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 6, causing the throwout.

I finger 52 to be raised and throw out the pawl 49. When the throwout finger raises, the lever 54 engages the notch 54' in the throwout fingerand keeps the throwout finger in up position; and consequently no paper will be fed by the rolls. The throwout finger 52 causes the pawl 49 to beheld out of engagement with the ratchet 49until the high point 58, of the cam 55,strikes the lower end of the cam lever 54 when the parts are returned to normal position.

Printing devices to be printed, and print I mg devices to be sklpped, may be distin-' guished one from the other in a simple manner which has been practiced to a considerable extent, by the application of detachable tabs, and this invention has been shown and described for use in a printing device system wherein tabs are applied to thoseprinting devices which are to be printed.

Changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof and I reserve the right to make all such changes as fairlyfall within the scope of the following claims:

I claim: 7 H V 1. In a printing machine, the combination of a reciprocating platen, a platen head comprising two parts, arms projecting from said parts and pivotally connected, yielding means engaging said parts, a cam interposed between said parts, and means for operating said cam to position the platen for printing or for skipping. I a

.2. In a printing machine, the combination of a reciprocating stamper arm, a platen carried by the stamper arm, a cam and a spring oppositely operating upon the platen to hold the platen normallyin printing position, a bell crank connected to the cam, automatic selector means, and means intermediate of the bell crank andsaid automatic selector means-for operating the cam to move the platen from printing position when a printing device is absent or to be skipped, said means comprising a rod connected to the bell crank and having a hooked end, a relatively fixed part to be engaged by said hooked end. a lever to position said rod out of operative relation to said part, and a rod for operating said lever.

v 3. In a printingmachine, the combination of means-feeding printingdevices one at a time to printing position, a stamper arm,

means operating thestamper armfin each cycle of operation of the machine, a platen carriedby the stamper arm and movable toward and away from printing position in the operation of said arm, said platen comprising upper and lower parts, arms projecting from said parts and pivotally connected to gether, yielding means engaging said parts, a cam interposedbetween said parts, a rod connectedto said cam and engageable with a detent to move said cam whereby said yielding means may move said lower part into in operative position, and means for holding said rod out of engagement with said detent.

4. In a printing machine, the combination of means feeding printing devices one at a time to printing position, a stamper arm, means operating the stamper arm in each cycle of operation of the machine, a platen carried by the stamper arm and movable toward and away from printing position in the operation of said arm, said platen comprising upper and lower parts, means urging the lower part of said platen out of operative position, a memberacting against said urging means for holding said lower part in operative position, a rod connected to said member and engageable with a detent to move said member whereby said urging means may move said lower part into inoperative position, a pivotally mounted lever engageable with said rod to hold said rod from engagement with said detent, and means for moving said lever to permit said rod to engage said detent.

5. In a printing machine, the combination of means feeding printing devices one at a time to printing position, a selector means, a stamper arm, means operating the stamper arm in each cycle of operation of the machine, a platen carried by the stamper arm and movable toward and vaway from printing position in the operation of said arm, said platen comprising upper and lower parts, means urging the lower part of said platen out of operative position, a member acting against said urging means for holding said lower part in operative position, a rod connected to said member and engageable with a detent to move said member whereby said urging means may move said lower part into inoperative position, a pivotally mounted lever engageable with said rod to hold'said rod from engagement with said detent, a slidable bar engageable with said lever to pivot said lever to permit said rod to engage said detent, and means for connecting said slidable rod to the selector means of the printing machine.

6. In a printing machine, the combination of means feeding printing devices one at a time to printing position, a selector means,

a'stamper arm, means operating the stamper arm in each cycle of operation of the machine, a platen carried byv the stamper arm and movable toward and away from printing position in the operation of said arm, said platen com risin u er and lower Jarts arms rojecting from said parts and pivotally connected together, yielding means engaging said parts, a cam interposed between said parts, a rod connected to said cam 'and engageable with a detent to move said cam whereby said yielding means may move said lower part-into inoperative position, control means for holding said rod out'of engage, ment with sand detent, and means controlled part in operative position, a rod con-' nected to said member and engageable with a detent to move said member wherebysaid urging means may move said lower part into inoperative position, means for holding said rod out of engagement with said detent, means for feeding paper through printing position in the machine, means for operating said paper feeding means, and means controlled by' the engagement ofthe rod with said detentfor disconnecting said paper feed- 111g means from the moving means therefor when said rod engages said detent.

' JOSEPH S. DUNCAN. 

